Tobacco packing and shipping can.



UNITED sTATEs PATE-NT OEEIOE.

ALBERT n. GREGG, OE NEw YORK, N. Y., AssrGNOR To HAVANA TOBACCO COMPANY,or NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OE NEW JERSEY.

TOBACCO PACKINGI AND SHIPPING. CAN.

NA.V 843,745.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 1907.

Application filed June 19, 1906. Serial Na 322,410.

T0 a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT II. GREGG, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in Tobacco Packing and Shipping Can, of which the following is a specifioation.

l The present invention relates to packages for cigars and the like, andis designed to protect the goods during transportation by `more safelyguarding them against breakage in transit and also by preventing the.absorption by the cigars of disagreeable odors from otherA articles incargo, and, further more, it is intended to provide a package in whichthe cigars or similar articles will retain their freshness under anyatmospheric conditions.

It is well known that the ordinary wooden cigar-box, while it isadmirably suited for many reasons for packing and transporting thecigars because usually made of cedar, which fragrant wood preserves andimproves the cigars, is somewhat fragile and likely to "become broken inrough handling, and, fur- .y thermore, being porous and absorbent itwill become permeated with any pungentodors from adjacent articles incargo, which odors, transmitted to the cigars, will destroy theirquality. Another objection to the ordinary cigar-box of commerce is thatit does not protect sufficiently the cigars packed in it fromatmospheric conditions, it being well known that cigars kept inwoodenboxes, particu larly in a steam-heated house or oflice, will become socompletely dried out' in a short time that they will break` and powderin handling, their aroma is destroyed, and they become Worthless forsmoking. This dithculty of keeping cigars in proper condition leads tothe practice of nearly all consumers of high-grade cigars of securingexpensive hulnidors, in which the cigars may be kept sufficiently moistfor smoking; and one of the objects of my invention is to provide an.original package in which the cigars may be kept and preserved in goodcondition not only during transit and in storage, but in which theconsumer may keep the goods with assurance that their quality andcondition Will be perfectly preserved.

It has been proposed and to some extent attempted to use metal packingcases orboxes,

and while for the -cheap grades of cigars this expedient is successfulit is entirely impracticable for the high-grade goods, for the reasonthat cigars which are incased for any length of time in metal, andparticularly tin boxes, will have a pronounced metallic taste, whichwill ruin their iiavor and aroma. On the other hand, boxes of sheetmetal or tin have the merit of protecting them from atmospheric changesand ability to withstand rough handling without breakage or injury tothe goods.

I have stated somewhat at length the objections to the packages forcigars now commonly in `use in order that my invention, which combinesin a practical may the advantages of both the cedar box and the metalcase, vliile overcoming the objections noted vith respect to each type,may be the more fully appreciated.

`Stated briefly, my invention consists in providing a compositepacking-case formed of an outer section or case of tin or other suitablesheet metal, vI hich E ill give the package the necessary rigidityagainst hard usage, protect the contents from atmospheric conditions,and be economical to produce, said Outer case having an inner section orshell of thin cedar or other veneer hich prevents contact of the cigarsv ith the metal ofthe outer case, preserves their bouquet, and impartsto them the pleasing aroma of the wood.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood by those skilledin art, I have illustrated in the accompanying drav ings one embodimentof my invention, in vs hich-'- Figure 1 is a vertical section of a composite case Vembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vtransverse section ofthe case, shovs ing its preferable form. Fig. 3 is bottom view of theCaSe.

Referring to the drawings by numbers, like numbers indicating like partsin the several views, 2 designates the tin outer case, preferably ofsome contour in cross-section other than round-for example, elliptical,a s shov n in Figs. 2 and S-for a purpose vIhich v ill presentlyappear.This case 2 is provided with any suitable type of cover, a slip-cover 4being shown in the present instance; but it will be understood that ascrew, bayonetjoint, or other suitable type of cover may be substitutedfor the slip-cover 4, if desired. Within this outer case 2 is an innercase or IOO shell 5, of cedar veneer, this inner case being formed,preferably, as a complete integral structure, having a lapped andcemented seam or joint 6 and a bottom 7 cemented in place, so that thetin outer' case" 2' and cedar' shell 5 are two distinct units, oneloosely nested within and removable from the other. The value andadvantage of this independence' of the' two' cases'lies in the'fa'ctthat the slight swelling and contraction of the veneer of which theshell 5 is made under atmospheric chang-es may take'place withoutldanger ofl splitting or checking the wood, which would occurif the caseswere secured' together, and again in' event of breakage of the veneerlining 5 itfmay be readily replaced by a new one.

The slip-cover 4' has an insert or lining piece fwhichA fills the topofthe cover, said pieceS being slipped into place' and heldby frictionalcontact with the side walls of the cover 4,- and since the cover 4 is anoutside cover and the inner case 5 extends to the top of the case 2- itwill be seen that an unbroken interior surface'of cedar isfpresented,and at no point can the cigars contact with the metal.

It is'well known that freshly-made cigars if sealed in non-porous ornon-ventilated packages,ysuch as tin, are'quite likely,if coniined forany length of time, to sweat and mold. In order to eliminate this`danger in the case herein described and shown, I provide it, preferablyinv its bottom, with a series of Ventilating-holes 9, which are drilledor boreddirectly through the tin and veneer cases, so that theyT will bein eXact register and aiford a sufficient ventilation of the contents toprevent any deterioration of the same. The Ventilating-holes, asAstated, are preferably formed in the bottom of the case, for the reasonthat there is'less likelihood of injury to the contents of the packagethan if the holes were formed in the top or in the sides, and thisparticular arrangement of Ventilating-'openings is of particularadvantage, for the reason that the heavier aqueous vapors from the gaswhich descend to the bottom of the case escape more surely than is thecase where the openings are formed inthe top or sides; It is, of course,of importance that these ventilation-openings 9 remain aty all times inregister, for since the cases 2 and 5' are so assembledl as'to permitrelative movement, inserting or withdrawing the veneer lining, it isobvious that during handling and transportation the .linings wouldbecome shifted, throwing t-he openings out of register and cutting offventilation entirely. This result is secured by making the cases 2 and 5tin and veneer cases.

of such cross-sectional shape or contour` that they are locked againstmovement relative to each other,- the elliptical shape shown lendingitself to this result and eliminating the ,necessity of having somespecial device or lock to prevent displacement of the outer and innercases relative to each other and yet permitting thedesired loose nestingtogether of the Furthermore, this elliptical shape forms a veryconvenient case for packing cigars, as they may be closely arranged,with great economy ol' space.-

Brom; the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided atransportation and storage receptacle which combinesall of theadvantages of the cedar box and the metal case, while removing theobjections tov each; of these types,l the inner shell of the cedarpreserving the quality of the cigars, while theV tin outer case guardsthemA against impregnation from deleterious cargoes and preventsinjurious drying out, and one iny which the cigars may be safelytransportedv and stored and kept by the consumer for an indefiniteperiod without deterioration.

It will be understood that while I have shown a particular embodiment ofmy invention I do'not limit myself to the particular details shown anddescribed, as the construction may be variously changed by themechanician without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having fully disclosed my invention, I claim' 1. A composite caseV fortransporting and preserving cigars and the like,-comprising an outercase of metal, kan inner shell of cedar f veneer loosely nested withinsaid outer case, said case and shell being of such shape incross-section as to prevent their relative rotary movement, and a topfor said composite case having a illing-piece of veneer, said casehaving registering ventilating-openings piercing its metal case andveneer shell.

2. A composite case for transporting and preserving cigars and the like,comprising an elliptically-shaped outer case of tin havingventilating-openings therethrough, an inner shell of cedar veneer nestedwithin said outer case and provided with openings registering with theopenings in the outer case, a slipcover of tin fitted to said outercase, and ailling-piece or lining of veneer in said cover.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set GEORGE P. S'rAoY, HENRYRUPPERT.

IOO

